


Magic Uncovered

by Donts



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arthur is a Prat, Arthur is angry, Arthur is hurt, BAMF Morgana, Banishment, Eventual Comfort, Everyone Loves Merlin, Fuck Canon, Gen, Good morgana, Guilt, Hurt No Comfort, Lancelot Lives, Low Self Esteem, Magic Revealed, Merlin is Hurt, Merlin nearly dies, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Near Death Experience, There’s a lot of gay tension that I didn’t mean to build, Understandably, Violence, adding tags as I go, i threw that shit out the window, ok kind of comfort, they are all friends I swear jsjsjjs, whoops, yup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23310943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Donts/pseuds/Donts
Summary: Arthur walks in on Merlin using magic. After a brutal beating, Merlin is banished. Taking refuge with the druids, Merlin struggles with self-hate and abandonment issues. Of course, he still has allies back in Camelot. With Arthur facing another magical threat, Merlin needs to protect him, without loosing his head.~~~The first chapter is in a one shot book on my wattpad acc: gay_ghost
Relationships: Gwaine & Lancelot (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Morgana (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Morgana (Merlin)
Comments: 84
Kudos: 269





	1. Beatings and Banishments

**Author's Note:**

> I think the only thing I can write is angst lmao

If you were to ask Merlin in this moment if he was an idiot, he would say yes. Merlin had been sitting down at the prince's table polishing his armor. There also happened to be clothes folding themselves, a sword getting sharpened, and boots getting polished as well. Magic truly helped save Merlin some time. What it doesn't save, is his head.

Merlin hadn't expected Arthur to be back from the council meeting so soon, but really that was no excuse. Merlin should have been careful, but here we are nonetheless. As soon as Merlin heard the door open panic raced through his veins. He stopped all magic quickly, a loud clanging sounded from the sword falling to the ground.

Merlin winced and stood from his seat, eyeing Arthur cautiously. Arthur seemed to be frozen in place, looking to where his sword was once floating in the air. His expression of shock soon turned to one of anger and betrayal.

"Magic." Arthur spat. "You've been practicing magic!" Arthur yelled, grabbing the nearest item (which just so happened to be a vase) and hurled it at Merlin. Merlin quickly ducked and looked to Arthur with fear in his eyes.

"Athur-" A goblet. "Please let me-" A candle. "Explain!" Merlin pleaded while avoiding thrown objects.

"Why would I listen to the words of a sorcerer?" Arthur fumed.

Merlin felt a pain in his heart. This was not meant to happen. Now Arthur hates him.

While entangled in his thoughts, a goblet managed to hit him in the head. Merlin winced and rubbed where he was been hit. Definitely will bruise. Merlin then realized that Arthur hurt him. He _hurt_ him. 

Arthur took advantage of Merlin's disoriented state and charged at him. He swung a punch and Merlin's jaw popped with a grizzly crack. Arthur did not stop punching.

Merlin tried to get away and plead, but he only ended up on the ground against a wall. Arthur had kicked, and punched, and shoved, and now Merlin lay spitting up blood. Arthur was not done. He picked Merlin up and pushed him forcefully against the wall, his head hitting the stone harshly.

Arthur wrapped his hands around Merlin's neck and squeezed. Merlin gasped for air and weakly attempted to push Arthur off. He knew he could use magic to defend himself but that would only make Arthur hate magic more.

Merlin's face quickly turned red, and then blue, and then purple. His limbs stopped protesting and his vision blurred. Tears had fallen down his face from the pain.

_"I'm going to die like this. At least it's not the pyre."_ Merlin thought as Arthur's enraged face became less and less visible.

Suddenly, Arthur realized who he was hurting and released his grip. Merlin toppled to the floor, wheezing gasped filled the room. Merlin coughed as he shuffled away from Arthur in fear.

"Arthur, I'm sor-"

"Get out."

"What?"

"Leave Camelot and don't come back." Arthur refused to look at Merlin.

Merlin picked himself up from the floor and wiped his tears.

"I've only used it for you." Before Arthur can reply, Merlin had left the room.

Merlin limps to his chambers, ignoring anyone's attempts to question or help him. Once he steps inside the physician's chambers, Gaius is quick to help him.

"What happened?" Gaius queried while wrapping Merlin's wounds.

"Arthur found out." Merlin spoke quietly.

Gaius frowned at the bruises on Merlin's neck.

"What's going to happen to you?"

"I've been banished. Arthur was merciful in the end, I suppose," Merlin replied dejectedly.

"I'd hardly call this merciful," Gaius spoke bitterly.

Merlin did not reply.

Once his wounds were treated, Merlin packed his bags with a few essentials, as well as his spellbook. Gaius had told him to stay at least until he recovered, but Merlin did not want to take the chance of getting another beating. Or worse, the pyre.

Merlin set off into to forest, not sure of where to go. He did not want to endanger his mother, should Arthur tell the King about him. Eventually, as night fell and a chill settled in, Merlin collapsed by a tree as shivers raked his body. The broken ribs did not help.

As Merlin slipped unconscious, figures of people in cloaks appeared in front of him.

Merlin woke in a druid camp. They always had a knack of helping those in need. It probably helped that he was Emrys as well.

"Emrys." A druid spoke to him through his mind. "Don't try and move. You're not fully healed."

Merlin groaned and sat up anyway. 

"I am fine."

The druid 'tsk'ed and softly pushed Merlin back down. The druid began magically healing Merlin when the camp leader came in.

"Emrys. We are glad to be of help."

"It is much appreciated," Merlin smiled softly.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

"My magic was discovered," Merlin murmured.

The druid healing him looked at his face sympathetically and the camp leader hummed.

"You are always welcome with us if you need a place to stay."

"That would be nice," Merlin gave a small smile once again.

"I'll leave you to rest." The druid nodded their head and left the tent.

Merlin focused on the magic flowing through his body to heal him. It felt different from his own. The healer druid stopped once Merlin began to fall asleep. The druid made their way to the exit and smiled. Emrys had spoken to them before completely drifting away.

"Thank you."


	2. Where Is Merlin?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's disappearance has not gone unnoticed in Camelot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **IMPORTANT NOTES**  
>  ·Takes place while Uther is still alive and after the knights of the roundtable we're knighted  
> ·Lancelot is alive, yay!  
> ·Morgana is not evil and has told no one of her magic

Living with the Druids was a different experience, to say the least. Merlin felt utter terror shoot through his body at the sight of magic, before remembering where he was.

Using magic himself was another experience. Obviously Merlin was no stranger to magic, but using it felt wrong. Every time his eyes shone brilliantly gold, a murky sickness washed over him. Memories of being ruthlessly beat would waltz around in his brain. He felt like a monster who needed to be cleansed, a mistake that was never meant to be here, a useless nobody who would never fulfill their destiny, a liar, a traitor, a-

"Emrys!"

Merlin was breathing quite heavily. A few druids were around him, attempting to snap him out of his panicked state. He hated the looks of concern he was getting. If he wasn't worthy of Arthur's concern, than he wasn't worthy of theirs.

"I'm fine," Merlin muttered.

The druids exchanged a look of worry as Merlin attempted to stand. He visibly winced with every step. The druid that had been healing him,whose name he found was Marigold, quickly came to his side to help him walk.

"You are quite stubborn," Marigold huffed.

Merlin chuckled at that, ignoring the pain he felt by doing so. He suddenly felt relief and a warm magic flow through him. 

"Thanks."

"No problem."

The two walked to a river not far from camp. Marigold made sure Merlin sat down without hurting himself further before taking a seat herself. A peaceful silence passed between them. The sounds of the river and chirping birds entertained them until they decided to talk.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Marigold spoke.

Merlin took a deep breath. He attempted to begin but the words felt to heavy to speak aloud. Luckily, he didn't have to speak. Druid telepathy really came in handy sometimes.

 _"Everytime I use magic,"_ Merlin began. _"I feel dirty. It's like I'm not supposed to. I just think of Arthur-"_ Merlin cut himself off with a sob.

Marigold pulled Merlin into her embrace and rubbed comforting shapes on his back.

"Oh, Merlin," Marigold sighed. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Magic should be a comfort to you. You did not deserve what that Pendragon boy did to you, you understand?"

Merlin only sobbed. He would not lie to a woman who reminded him so much of his mother.

Marigold frowned and continued to hold Merlin until his tears slowed down. Merlin slowly broke from her embrace, eyes puffy and red. Marigold wiped his tears and smiled empathetically.

"Magic is a beautiful thing, Merlin. It can heal and protect. It can create and-"

_"Destroy."_

"Yes, it can destroy. That is not all it has to be, though. Magic is everything. You decide what to make of it. Do _not_ let Arthur make that decision for you." Marigold gave a stern look.

Merlin's stomach decided that it would let out a growl in that moment, causing a soft laughter to be exchanged between the two.

"Let's head back to camp for lunch."

**···**

Arthur was mad and tired. He had barely been able to sleep, his mind racing with thoughts of Merlin and how he berayed him. What really kept him up though, was the fear he had seen in Merlin's eyes. Arthur was disturbed to how close he had come to killing his oaf of a manservant. Any guilt he felt was quickly washed away when he remembered the sword floating in the air. Arthur groaned and pulled himself out of bed, ignoring how wrong it felt to not have Merlin there to pester him into rising. Just thinking of the sorcerer was making his blood boil all over again.

Throughout the day, Merlin seemed to be everywhere. It was angering the living hell out of Arthur. He could barely go two minutes without someone asking where Merlin was. First it was the servant who brought him breakfast(who was certain he was to be executed with the wrath Arthur had unleashed at the mention of his past manservant), and then there was Gwen, poor sweet Gwen who was only worried for her friend.

"Arthur! Have you seen Merlin? He was supposed to help me with-"

" _Merlin_ is not here, and he won't ever be again." Arthur spat rudely.

Gwen stared at Arthur in a state of shock,

"What?"

"He's back in Ealdor. Forever. Now leave me." Arthur coldy pushed past Guinievere before she had the chance to question his answer.

Of course even the knights had to ask about him.

"Oi, where's Merlin at? Had another night in the tavern, has he?" Gwaine laughed at Arthur's very obvious brooding face.

A few of the knights chuckled along. 

"No. He's returned to Ealdor. He no longer lives in Camelot." Arthur was trying oh so hard to keep his anger in, but he could hear it seeping trough his voice. 

The knights looked stunned. Merlin returning to Ealdor? That didn't seem like something he would do, especially without saying goodbye to any of them. Not to mention him leaving Arthur. An Arthur without Merlin around simply wasn't an Arthur. Lancelot felt worry pool in his stomache. He knew Merlin would never leave like that unless his mother was ill. If so, Arthur would have said something. Which means one thing. Arthur found out about Merlin's magic.

**···**

Arthur swore to himself he would behead the next person who so much as to utter Merlin's name.

"Where's Merlin gone?" Morgana innocently asked.

Arthur felt as though his last string of sanity had been cut. Surely, a curse Merlin had put on him before he left. In reality, Arthur just has a bad temper, that clotpole.

"Oh for the love of Camelot! Can I not go two seconds without someone asking about the idiot who was my manservant? He's left for Ealdor! No longer in Camelot! Surely the news would have spread everywhere by now!" Arthur yelled.

"Bit touchy, are we?" Morgana teased.

"Shut up."

"It's alright, I understand. You two were close. Merlin leaving must have hurt you. You miss him, don't you?" Morgana showed a rare side of sincerity, calming the usual flames in her eyes.

This only upset Arthur more.

"Absolutely not. I'm glad he's gone," Arthur spat and stomped away to his chambers.

Morgana eyed her brother's receeding figure with suspicion. She had heard the word Merlin had left, but Arthur's reaction only aided her curiosity. To Gaius it is then. Morgana calmy whisked through the castle, arriving at the physicians door. She walked in after giving a knock, smiling at the old man in the room.

"Yes, my lady? Do you need another sleeping drought?" Gaius questioned, already getting up to make one.

"Oh no, Gaius. I only came to talk." Morgana smiled and placed a hand on Gaius's shoulder, urging him to sit again. "I was wanting to know the real reason Merlin has disappeared. I figured if he told anyone, it would be you."

"Well, he's not in Ealdor," Gauis grumbled bitterly.

Morgana sat in thought for a moment before replying.

"So, he got banished?" Morgana tilted her head.

"I'm somehow not surprised you figured that out so quickly." Gaius let out a sigh.

"Well, I'm not an idiot like everyone else here." Morgana huffed, "So, Arthur banished him privately?" Morgana was truly only talking to herself by this point. Gaius nodded anyway.

"Right," Morgana stood and began to pace around Gaius's chambers. Said man was beginning to think he said too much. "So, obviously Arthur didn't want Uther to know. Which means Merlin was probably going to face execution." Morgana cringed at the thought of Merlin on the executioners block before continuing her thoughts.

"It has to be something Arthur would get cross about though. He looked ready to run me through when I mentioned Merlin." Morgana tilted her head. "There's no way Merlin would commit treason. He loves Arthur too much to do that." Morgana quickly shooed that idea away.

"Wait, Merlin loves-" Gaius attempts to get an explaination only to be ignored and for Morgana's thinking to begin again.

"What else could it be though? Something that would make Arthur do such a thin-" Morgana halted her pacing and turned to Gaius, eyes aflame. She whispered in realization, _"Magic."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My birthday is approaching! I'll be quarantined, how lovely.
> 
> Thank for all the kind comments last chapter! I love reading them :)
> 
> Kudos and Comments are much appreciated🙏


	3. Morgana's Wrath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana has more than a few insults to throw Arthur's way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for the late chapter! I got sick the last few days and spent my days sleeping my migraines away. Not to mention I got writers block in this bit. Whoops.

Morgana raced through the halls, glaring straight ahead of her. Servants and knights alike moved out her way, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her wrath. She arrived at Arthur's chamber and pushed the doors open with no hesitancy. Arthur jumped at the sudden noise of his door being opened, though he would deny it if anyone were to ask.

"Are you daft, Arthur?" Morgana fumed.

"Shut the door, would you?" Arthur rolled his eyes.

Morgana ignored him and stormed closer. A guard closed the door for them, giving them some privacy. Whether or not that was beneficial for the prince was uncertain.

"You are just like your father! I can't believe how thick-headed you are! You foolish, arrogant little-"

"Morgana! What are you on about?" Arthur instinctively backed a few paces away from the seething ward.

"Merlin! I'm on about Merlin! You banished him! Don't even deny it, Pendragon!" Morgana glared.

Arthur tensed at Merlin's name.

"Yes, Morgana. I banished Merlin. Are you done?" Arthur crossed his arms and huffed like a child. This only enraged Morgana more.

"You would think you would be more accepting! You knighted commoners, you even helped that druid boy! Why is this any different? It's just magic!" Morgana hushed her tone at that last word, just in case the guards were eavesdropping. (Let's be real, they most definitely were).

"He was lying to me for so long! Merlin is not a child either, he should know to not practice-" Arthur's face had gone red with anger, much like Morgana's.

"You truly are an idiot! Of course he was lying to you! How do you know it was a choice? People are born with magic sometimes, you prat! What did you expect him to do? Walk up to the prince of Camelot, whose father is known for killing anyone with magic, no exceptions, and tell him he can make fire in his hands? You are insufferable! He was probably scared out his mind! You didn't hurt him, did you? Well, I know it had to have hurt mentally, but physically, I mean," Morgana ranted and soothed off towards the end, worried about Merlin.

Arthur stood frozen, and hesitated.

"I-"

"Oh gods, you did! Arthur! This is why he didn't tell you!" Morgana's eyes lit aflame.

"He shouldn't have had to tell me anything!" Arthur retorted.

"You stubborn ass!" Morgana stomped right up to Arthur. "I should hit you, but instead I am going to show you mercy. Maybe you can learn what it is that way," Morgana hissed lowly.

Morgana swiftly turned and left Arthur's chambers, shaking with anger. Arthur failed to notice the few candles that had lit on their own during their argument. It appears Merlin wasn't the only one with magic.

**···**

Lancelot gently knocked on the physician's door, waiting for an invite in. A small shuffle was heard before Gaius answered.

"Sir Lancelot, what brings you here?" Gaius asked while stepping aside, leaving room for Lancelot to enter.

"Merlin. I know he wouldn't leave so suddenly like that. Has this got something to do with magic?" Lancelot queried after Gaius shut the door.

"Arthur found out."

"I was afraid so," Lancelot sighed. "He's not hurt, is he?"

"Arthur beat him before banishing him," Gaius looked downcast.

Lancelot frowned and felt anger bubble inside of him. He was loyal and respected Arthur, but he respected Merlin more. The image of Merlin bruised and bloodied did not sit well with him.

"I'm sure he-"

"Gaius!" Morgana had burst through the door, interrupting Lancelot. "Oh, hello Lancelot," Morgana smiled.

Lancelot nodded in greeting.

"Do you need something, my lady?" Gaius raised a brow.

"Yes, I do." Morgana flicked her eyes to Lancelot.

Lancelot excused himself from the room, figuring Morgana wanted some privacy.

As soon as the door shut behind Lancelot, Morgana blurted, "I need a tracking spell."

Gaius looked at her warily.

"To do a tracking spell requires previous magical dabblings. Not to mention Uther-"

"Yes, yes, I know. I need to find Merlin, though. He needs to know he's not alone," Morgana pleaded.

"Not alone?" Gaius raised a brow.

Morgana softened her gaze and rubbed her arm, comforting herself.

"Gaius, you remember that fire in my chambers. The dreams I have that come true. Surely I must have some type of magic." Morgana spoke quietly.

"It is possible you are seer, Morgana," Gaius replied.

Morgana smiled smally, relief filling her. She had been bottling up her thoughts for a while, simply choosing to believe her circumstances were coincidental. Hearing someone confirm her suspicions felt refreshing.

"There, now please help me find Merlin. I want to make sure he's alright before anything else," Morgana said with determination in her eyes.

Gaius paused in thought before sighing and approaching his work bench.

"Fetch one of Merlin's neckerchiefs for me."

Morgana entered Merlin's room, or past room she supposed. She quickly found a red cloth he had left behind. Morgana lingered in the room, a sadness softly pulling at her. While most of Merlin's belongings were gone, his presence still drifted in the air. His bed was left a mess and his cupboard was wide open. Morgana shook her head. For a servant, Merlin was not clean at all. Merlin was never just a servant, though.

Morgana left the room with renewed purpose, eager to see her friend. She placed the neckerchief on the table and looked to Gaius with ready eyes. Said man was skimming through a grimoire.

"What do I have to do?" Morgana asked impatiently.

Gaius flipped through a few more pages before stopping. He turned the book towards Morgana and pointed to a certain page.

"Cast this spell over the cloth with a vivid image of Merlin in your mind. A trail only you can see should appear," Gaius explained.

Morgana read over the spell a few times before grabbing hold of the cloth. She filled her thoughts with Merlin, and his unwavering loyalty. His deep blue eyes, scrawny frame, tossled hair, high cheek bones. Morgana felt content with the image presented in her mind and spoke the incantation.

 _"Deíxe mou to monopáti pou prépei na akolouthíso gia na ftáso se énan fílo."_ Morgana's eyes sparked with gold.

Gaius looked at her with anticipation. Morgana frowned, seeing no path being formed. She felt dread and anger fizzle beneath her skin. She had to do this. For Merlin.

Morgana focused on Merlin once again, this time evoking emotions she feels toward the man. Her protectivness and caring nature towards him weaved itself into her magic as she spoke the words once more.

 _"Deíxe mou to monopáti pou prépei na akolouthíso gia na ftáso se énan fílo!"_ Morgana's eyes falshed gold and a trail with coruscating lights entered her vision.

Morgana laughed and beamed with pride. Gaius smiled at her, finding her joy contagious.

"Thank you, Gaius! I'm off to find Merlin. I'll tell you all about it when I return!" Morgana hugged Gaius and quickly snatched the cloth from the table.

"Wait, my lady. I wish to locate Merlin soon as well, but night will be upon us soon. You know how Uther gets when you leave as well," Gaius reminded.

"Since when has that stopped me?" Morgana gave a mischievious smirk and fled the chambers.

Gaius shook his head in disbelief at Morgana's antics. He may have been just a little to happy that someone was out to check on Merlin so quickly, despite the risks.

**···**

"There! All healed up!" Marigold smiled at Merlin.

Merlin merely hummed in reply. Marigold frowned, clearly seeing that Merlin was upset. She placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. Merlin flinched and looked to her with a startled expression

"It's only me," Marigold soothed.

Merlin relaxed his shoulders and muttered an apology. Marigold was quick to tell the warlock he had no reason to apologize. Merlin awkwardly nodded his head in response.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Marigold gently asked.

Merlin looked away from Marigold, finding the forest shrubbery more interesting. Many thoughts flew about his head before he spoke.

"You already know," Merlin spoke, referring to the conversation they had hours earlier.

"It's more than that. I can see it in your eyes. It's not good to bottle things up, Emrys."

"Don't call me that. I'm just Merlin," Merlin flinched at the druid name.

"My apologies, Merlin."

A few moments of silence passed between them before Merlin spoke again.

"I'm worried about Arthur. He's always getting himself into trouble. Half the time he never even realizes it. What if he's already in danger? I've never been away from his side for so long. What if he needs me?" Merlin rambles, his eyes stinging with unfallen tears.

"Merlin, Arthur is fine. He can take care of himself. For a few days at least. If you were needed for an emergency, you would know. For now you need to focus on helping yourself, not Arthur. I can't begin to imagine the stress constantly being around Uther has given you. Not to mention recent events," Marigold comforted, rubbing Merlin's shoulder

Merlin shrugged her hand off and shook his head.

"It's not that easy. I exist to protect Arthur. My whole life revolves around him. Your prophecies say so!" Merlin stood and backed away from the healer.

Marigold frowned.

"That's not true. You are not just a prophe- Merlin!" Marigold could not finish her speech, as Merlin had run into the forest.

Marigold started after him before the druid leader, Durai, held her back.

"Let him have space. He will return," Durai explained.

Marigold hesitantly walked away from the forest edge and back into the clearing.

Merlin, on the other hand, ran until he came upon a stream. He figured it was the same one he was at earlier, just at a different point, He sat down in the dirt and put his hand in the water. The cold water flowed around Merlin's fingers, sending a calm through him. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing.

Merlin's magic flowed out of him involuntarily. It flowed into the nature around him, swimming with the water, rooting into the ground, climbing up trees. Merlin almost didn't notice. He felt grounded and at peace, his magic taking in the calm aura of nature. Suddenly, Merlin shot upright and snapped his eyes open.

"No! Stop!" Merlin stood from his spot and called his magic back to him.

His magic struggled and refused to return to him. It felt Merlin's stress and worry and was only trying to calm him. His magic went farther into the ground in attempts to soothe him. This only caused Merlin to panic and feel sick.

"Please, stop!" Merlin dropped to his knees and cried.

Merlin began gagging, feeling sick as memories of Arthur punching him came back. He crawled to a bush a vomited up his lunch. His magic returned to him confused, not understanding Merlin's reaction. It instead decided to work from inside Merlin, easing his nauseousness. Merlin, of course, wasn't aware of what his magic was doing.

Merlin grimaced at the waste he had just produced and crawled back to the waters edge. The stars were appearing, creating a beautiful sight. He cleaned his mouth out with water from the stream and sighed contently with his newly fresh mouth. Merlin had entered another relaxed state, without magic this time, and was simply admiring the night sky.

Suddenly, a trot of hooves could be heard, and Merlin jolted with fear. Merlin turned towards the trail, which he was far enough from. He rationalized with himself that no one would see him in this dark. All those thoughts vanished as the horse stopped and footsteps quickly replaced them.

Fear rattled throughout Merlin as the footsteps approached him, as if the person knew exactly where he was. As soon as the silhouette of a figure with a cloak came into view, Merlin whimpered.

The figure snapped it's head to Merlin.

Merlin felt his body tremble with terror. He had been found.

"Please don't kill me!"

The figure instantly dropped to kneel in front of Merlin. Pale hands gently cupped Merlin's face.

"I'm not going to hurt you," The figure spoke softly.

Merlin squinted his eyes in recognition. He knew that voice. He let his eyes focus and sure enough, a familiar face was in front of him.

Morgana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry it was late coming out! I try to keep consistent updates, but alas, I suck at time management.  
> I hope this chapter is good enough, I rewrote it several times. Yay writers block!  
> I hope all of you are safe and healthy <3
> 
> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated🙏


	4. 5 Summers of Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and Morgana bond. The druids warn Merlin of a possible threat.

Merlin quickly shuffled away from Morgana. He nearly falls into the river doing so. Morgana frowned and held her hands up in surrender.

"Are you here to kill me?" Merlin stuttered out.

"No! No, Merlin. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not even here to bring you back. As much as I want that, I don't think that would be safe," Morgana began.

Merlin still looked at her with suspicion.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. Also, to tell you, you aren't alone." Morgana explained.

"I'm not alone?" Merlin tilted his head. "You know you have magic?"

"You knew?"

"No, I only suspected it," Merlin spoke, slowly edging back to Morgana.

_"Forbearnan,"_ Morgana whispered, her eyes flashed a quick gold.

A small fire burst to life between them.

"I wanted to see you better," Morgana explained.

Merlin nodded and relaxed. He sat wordless by the fire. Morgana stared at him through the flames, noticing the emotional strain on his face. She felt herself grow anger towards Arthur for doing this to her friend.

"I'm sorry for what Arthur did to you. Please don't let it get to you. He's an idiot and doesn't understand how kind and loyal you are," Morgana caught Merlin's eyes. "You are not alone, Merlin. I will always be here for you. So will Gaius. I'm sure there are many more with you as well."

Merlin looked back into the fire.

"Thank you," He breathes out.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"Yes. The druids took me in," Merlin gives a small smile.

Morgana smiles back.

"Good. Maybe they can teach you some more magic," Morgana said.

Merlin shifted uncomfortably.

"I feel guilty. When using magic, I mean. I'm not sure I want to learn more magic. I wish wasn't born with it," Merlin spoke quietly, rubbing his face to wipe a few stray tears.

Morgana quickly came to Merlin's side and pulled him into a hug. Merlin returned it and sobbed into Morgana's shoulder for a few moments. Morgana let him, occasionally whispering comforts into his ear.

"Sorry," Merlin said after pulling away.

"Don't be," Morgana still had her arm splayed across Merlin's back. "I think you should learn more. I know magic can be scary, but it's not all bad, is it? I'm sure you've used it to do good deeds. Maybe learning more can help you fall in love with magic again."

"I'll think about it," Merlin smiled.

A calm silence blanketed the duo before Morgana tugged it away again.

"You don't have to do anything, but could you teach me a spell? I only got a few glimpses at the ones in Gaius's book," Morgana said with a smile.

"Yeah. Um, look into the fire and picture any creature you want. Once you have one in mind, say _émpsychos._ " Merlin explained with a fond smile. He felt his magic pressing at his finger tips, but he pushed it down. He needed more time.

Morgana smiled delightedly and turned her attention to the fire.

_"Empsychos."_

The flames waved unnaturally for a few moments before morphing into a galloping horse. Morgana let out a sound of awe, mesmerized by the image. After a few seconds the horse disappeared into flecks of ash, floating off into the air. Morgana turned back to Merlin. The two of them spent hours talking about magic and odd events caused by it. Merlin apparently had accidentally turned his boots into bread in Ealdor once. Morgana insisted on calling him "yeast feet" after that story was told, much to Merlin's displeasure. Merlin found himself slowly warming up to the subject of magic as Morgana talked on about it. She seemed so fascinated and in awe of everything Merlin found it hard to disagree.

"It's getting late, I should head back to camp. Do you want to camp with the druids for the night?" Merlin stood and stretched.

"I don't want to endanger you or the druids, should Uther send a search party for me. I'd love to stop by and say hello, though," Morgana said as she mimicked Merlin's actions.

The duo begin walking to the druid camp, Morgana providing light in the form of magic. They walk into the clearing and stand startled. The druids were bustling about, despite the time of night. They seemed to be packing.

"I told you he would return," Durai spoke, nudging Marigold to look to Merlin.

"Em-Merlin!" Marigold stuttered, quick to fix herself.

"Sorry for running off," Merlin sheepishly spoke, rubbing the back of his head.

"No worries," Marigold trailed off, looking to Morgana.

"I'm Morgana, nice to meet you," Morgana stepped forward with a smile.

Marigold nodded. Durai walked up to the trio and smiled, greeting Morgana.

"Hello, Morgana. I'm Durai, this is Marigold," Durai gestured to the healer beside him. "As you can see, we are getting ready to move. I was planning to talk to Merlin about this."

"What's going on?" Merlin asked, as if on cue.

"The druids are a peaceful people, as you know. We do not wish to find ourselves in conflict. We expect an enemy of Camelot to arrive soon, due to Uther's birthday feast approaching. It is up to you of you wish to go back to Camelot or stay with us," Durai spoke clearly and calmly.

Merlin was clearly trapped in thought. He couldn't help but feel fear of both seeing Arthur again and Arthur getting hurt. It was all quite confusing. How would he disguise himself to even enter Camelot? Would he get caught using magic again? If so would the punishment be worse? What if he didn't go, though? Would Arthur get hurt, or even die? While he did not like Uther, his death would harm Arthur as well. Especially if by magic. Arthur is not ready to be king. Eventually, he settled on an answer.

"I need to at least warn Gaius of the danger that is arriving. Lancelot too, I suppose," Merlin concluded.

"I can do that for you, Merlin. It is not safe for you to return," Morgana spoke sympathetically, placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Thanks, Morgana, but I want to do this myself. I would love to see my friends at home again one more time as well," Merlin replies, looking to Morgana with an appreciative smile. He turns back to Durai and Marigold. "After I tell all who need to know of the danger, I will catch up with you."

"Ah, take this then," Marigold said, taking a beaded bracelet off her wrist. _"Píso se ména,"_ Marigold chanted before giving the bracelet to Merlin.

Merlin took it and placed it on his own wrist. Morgana watched the encounter with curious eyes.

"When you are ready to return speak the words _deíxe mou ton trópo_ and you will be guided to us," Marigold explained.

"Thank you."

"Aren't you forgetting something, Merlin?" Durai smiled in amusement.

Merlin tilted his head in question.

"How will you enter Camelot without getting recognized?"

"Oh that! I'll just use a de-ageing spell."

Morgana raised her brow in surprise.

"You can do that?" Morgana asked incredulous.

"Merlin can do many things when it comes to magic," Marigold explained.

Merlin shrugged sheepishly. Morgana seemed to have even more questions but pushed them down for another time. 

Marigold handed Merlin clothes that would fit him after he changed his age with a worried smile. Merlin thanked her and insisted he would be safe.

The druids were now nearly completely packed and ready to go. They left two cots and stoked the fire for Merlin and Morgana before leaving. The two of them laid down to get as many hours as possible, before leaving for Camelot at first light.

**···**

It was nearly dusk of the next day when Morgana and Merlin arrived at the gates of Camelot. They had both walked until Merlin de-aged into a kid of five summers. Morgana picked him up and placed him on the horse from that point on, cooing at him every once in a while. Merlin merely rolled his eyes at her antics. Both of them were surprised to see Arthur waiting at the gates for them. Merlin stiffened and his expression turned grim, causing Morgana to frown sympathetically at him.

"Where have you been?" Arthur glanced to the child on the horse. "Who is this?"

"Well since you asked so nicely, I went to talk to Merlin and this is a boy who I found on the way back. His parents were killed in a bandit attack, I'm bringing him to Gaius," Morgana quipped with clear hostility.

Merlin shifted uncomfortably on the saddle. The two royals ignored his moving and continued their conversation.

"You went to talk to Merlin?" Arthur shook his head in disbelief. "Are you _insane?_ "

Morgana scoffed.

"Oh, _I'm_ insane? Is it insanity to want to know the well being of your friends now? Has it passed through your thick skull that perhaps beating your friends is the true insanity here? Truly, Arthur, you are a narrow-minded fool." Morgana spat, anger prudent in her tone.

"I didn't kill him, did I?" Arthur retorted.

Merlin shuddered.

"Didn't realize the bar was so low," Morgana spoke lowly.

"It is for a _sorcerer,_ " Arthur spat in return.

"Do not even go there with me, Pendragon! If you would have had the heart to hear him out, you would know he was born with it!" Morgana stopped her walking and fully faced Arthur. The horse stopped alongside her.

Arthur paused, glaring at Morgana.

"What else did he tell you? Where even is he?" Arthur questioned.

"You dare ask about him? You deserve to know nothing of him after what you did! Do you really expect for me to answer that, knowing what you've done? He's hurt, Arthur, and it's because of you. Don't give me that betrayal nonsense, you are not the victim here. So no, I will not tell you any more of him, and you better not ask about him again." Morgana seethed, raging right in Arthur's face.

Merlin stared at the encounter dumbstruck.

"Merlin deser-"

Before Arthur could finish his retort, a hard slap was landed to his face. Morgana's hand readied to strike again, a punch this time, but a force held her back. She turned to see Merlin's golden eyes quickly dissipate. He closed his eyes and shook his head, a single tear falling down his cheek. Morgana softened at the sight and lowered a hand. She then noticed the crowd that had formed around them. Morgana quickly sent them off with a glare and a wave.

Arthur gritted his teeth as he glowered at Morgana. Morgana glared back with equal intensity. Merlin took their anger fueled staring competition time to compose himself.

"You're a narrow-minded troll, Arthur. Even a child could see that," Morgana promptly turned to Merlin. "What do you have to say to this excuse of a man?" Morgana asked Merlin with a smirk.

Arthur turned his attention to Merlin, who just looked like a random child to him. He did not expect the kid to answer.

"He looks like a total loggerhead," Merlin said after a deep breath.

Arthur's chest burned at the familiarity of dialect before realizing he had been insulted by a child. Before he could fix the kid's poor etiquette, Morgana laughed and praised said child and walked off without another word.

**···**

Gaius looked up from his brewing potion at the sound of his door opening. His eyes immediately landed on the child Morgana was holding hands with.

"Gaius!" Merlin burst into a smile and rushed towards Gaius, giving him a hug.

"Merlin?" Gaius asked, looking down at the boy.

"Yup! Age regression spell," Merlin explained.

Morgana smiled at the reunion.

"Shall I get Lancelot?" Morgana suggested, knowing Merlin intended to tell the knight of the incoming danger as well.

Merlin nodded his head and watched as Morgana hurried out the door. He then turned back to his mentor. Gaius gestured for him to sit at the table. Merlin climbed onto the bench and made himself comfortable.

"How are your injuries?"

"All healed up. The druids helped me."

Gaius nodded.

"Are you staying with them?"

"Yeah, they've been really nice. It is weird to see magic being used so openly though." Merlin squirmed before continuing. "I feel so wrong to even be here right now," Merlin admitted.

"What do you mean?" Gaius asked with concern.

"Just to be in Camelot. Using magic. It feels wrong now," Merlin mumbled, his stubby fingers tracing the wood of the table.

"Oh, Merlin. Nothing about magic is wrong."

"I know that, but I can't help but think about Arthur every time I use it now," Merlin sighed in exasperation.

"I think it would be best for you to forget about Arthur for a while. Instead, think about yourself. Do what you want, not what Arthur wants. You've always been good at that, haven't you?" Gaius smiled.

Merlin laughed, the sound higher in pitch and more innocent sounding than usual.

"You've got that right," Merlin chuckled out.

Just then, Lancelot came through the door. He eyed the court physician and the warlock with confusion. He looked to the child more closely and couldn't shake the familiarity of him off. Something about his bright blue eyes and messy mop of black hair reminded him so much of his friend.

"Does Merlin have a child?" Lancelot questioned with interest, approaching the table.

Merlin laughed.

"No, I do not."

Lancelot grinned and pulled Merlin into a seated hug.

"Nice to see you again, Merlin!"

Merlin returned the hug to the best of his ability, shortened limbs and all.

"I won't be staying long, age related spells are tiresome to keep up with," Merlin said as he pulled away from the hug. Merlin frowned at the disappointment evident on both Lancelot's and Gaius's face. "I need to tell you both something before I go, though."

The mood in the room shifted into seriousness and everyone's posture changed into the upright and alert kind. 

"With Uther's birthday feast approaching, the druids expect a sorcerer with evil intent to arrive. I have no doubt Arthur will land himself in trouble, the right idiot he is. If you could do me a favor and watch over him for me? I'd feel better if Morgana was also helping, but based on the argument she had with Arthur earlier, you might need to coax her into it," Merlin explained, gesturing to Gaius at the mentions of Morgana.

The scene of a child explaining dangers to come was an interesting one. Seeing small hands wave around while speaking of possible magical poisons and curses nearly made Gaius chuckle a few times. This was awarded with a serious glare which set off a bout of laughs. A kid with such an expression was hard not to laugh at. Nevertheless, Merlin was eventually able to tell all he had to say and bid his friend and mentor farewell.

Merlin slipped out the gates of Camelot, into the darkness of the woods. He magicked back into his normal age, changing into his preferred clothes. With a quick whisper of a spell, Merlin was off on his way to the druids. He could only hope Arthur would be alright without his hand to guide him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writers block has been bad recently. I hope this chapter is okay :/  
> Just wait until more angst comes to play, I'm best at that >:)
> 
> Hope quarantine is treating you all well! I've started going on runs because of boredom lol  
> Currently listening to backstreet boys :)
> 
> Comments and Kudos much appreciated😊🙏


	5. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is feeling guilty about something, one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't sleep and ended up writing this entire chapter in one go. In my sleepy haze I repeatedly spelt "knights" as "kights" which I found funny when editing this back. I'm running off two hours, so apologies if I still missed some mistakes. I also apologize for how short this chapter is compared to the others. I'll try to make the next chapter longer.

It is bright and early in Camelot, and the knights are beginning their training session for the day. Their morale is noticeably lower than usual, no doubt the effect of a certain missing manservant. Arthur is no less harsh because of this. In fact, one could say his training was a bit more brutal now. The knights were currently taking turns sparring against Arthur. Gwaine lacked his usual energy, slow and groggy. Arthur easily pinned him down. Gwaine only mumbled instead of his usual flirtatious response about how promiscuous of a position they were in. Arthur felt a small hint of guilt as he watched Gwaine rejoin the other knights. Merlin had been his first friend, and Arthur took that from him.

That thought was quickly abandoned as Lancelot readied his position in front of Arthur. Lancelot was different in his fighting now, to say the least. Lancelot was already highly skilled with a sword, but now he was much more violent.

All Sir Lancelot could think about was how Gaius described Merlin's injuries. The injustice Arthur had committed. Does Arthur even know how much Merlin has done for him? All that, and Arthur just sends him away like some criminal? By now Lancelot was seething, and Arthur's sword was quickly dislodged from his hands.

Lancelot did not stop there. He pinned Arthur to the ground and readied to swing and-

"That's enough, Lancelot." Leon grabbed his shoulder.

Lancelot snapped out of his haze and muttered a quick apology to Arthur and helped him up. Gwaine watched with a suspicious eye. Gwaine was not the only one, though. Lancelot was always so level-headed. Lancelot being angry was unheard of, a legend really. No one decided to comment on it. They were all dealing with Merlin's loss in their own way, and who were they to judge Lancelot's?

Lancelot found himself feeling guilty throughout training for two reasons. One, being that he nearly attacked Arthur in a blind rage. He did not want to be like him. Merlin would be disappointed. Two, Gwaine looked utterly miserable. Lancelot knew how special Merlin was to him, being his first friend and all. He wouldn't doubt if Merlin was Gwaine's best friend. Hell, Merlin was best friends with almost all of Camelot. Gwaine deserved an explanation, not a sudden disappearance. Telling Gwaine the truth would also mean telling him of Merlin's magic, and Lancelot was in no place to do that. Obviously, Merlin had kept his secret from Gwaine for a reason, but it didn't stop the guilt from festering under his skin.

Perhaps, he could tell half of the truth?

Lancelot would have to think on it.

**···**

Arthur was indeed an idiot, but not as big as an idiot to not see the trouble his knights were going through. Using those excellent brain cells of his lead him to the conclusion that this was all Merlin's fault. For if Merlin had not been foolishly using magic, Arthur would have not banished him, and his knights would not be missing the clumsy manservant. 

Arthur slumped against his desk with a sigh. He let his gaze wonder to his dining table. The horribly one-sided fight played for him. Arthur really was starting to feel guilty. He hadn't even let Merlin talk. He just attacked. 

Why hadn't Merlin fought back?

Surely if we were a sorcerer he could have defended himself. So why not? Perhaps his magic was not strong enough, is not strong enough. Then Arthur's stomach grew a pit as he thought of another explanation. Perhaps Merlin did not want to hurt Arthur.

The thought of that made acid claw up his throat. He had so mercilessly tossed Merlin about. He nearly choked him out for Camelot's sake, and Merlin still wished no harm upon him. The memory of Merlin's discolored face and crossed eyes attacked Arthur's memories, and this time Arthur did throw up.

He groaned in displeasure. Of course Merlin was causing him trouble when he wasn't even here. His knights were all melancholy, and he had a mess in his chambers. Arthur called for a servant before the smell completely took over his room. 

Arthur got another servant to dress him in his nightwear as the other finished up cleaning. What a truly awful job. Arthur buries himself in his bed, ready to sleep. As if it was that easy! Guilt continued to keep his lids open. Arthur could not shake the punches and kicks from his memory. Nor the throwing and choking, He had been so violent.

More than anything, Arthur felt ashamed. He preaches to not be like his father, and yet, he had succumbed to a blind rage at the sight of magic just like daddy dearest. Morgana's lectures taunted him from inside his skull.

_You are just like your father!_

_What else was he supposed to do?_

_He's hurt, Arthur, and it's because of you._

Arthur groaned and tossed in his bed. He thinks back to the fight and frowns deeply. Maybe, he went too far. He didn't have to hit Merlin. Arthur, being the stubborn clotpole he is, shook his head. A sorcerer doesn't deserve my guilt, Arthur thinks.

A rain begins to pound of Arthur's window. The sound lulls him to sleep.

**···**

The druids welcomed Merlin back with bright faces, a stark contrast to the dark look on Merlin's face. The druids were now in a cave system, torches and magic lighting up their new makeshift home. One area of the caves had a patch of grass, the work of magic, to soften the ground for sleeping. A few druid children were napping there. Rocks and crystals jutted out from the walls, sparkling in the torch light. 

Merlin attempted to smile back, but the movement was draining. He longed to be back in Gaius's chambers, sleeping with the smell of potions and herbs leaking through the cracks of his door. He longed for the playful banter of Arthur, the warm embrace of Gwen, the supportive looks from Lancelot, the fiery outburst of Morgana, the drunken singing from Gwaine. Merlin longed for home. He longed for peace. For the weight of his destiny to be lifted off his shoulders. 

Trudging on through the caves, Merlin stumbled across Marigold. She took one look at him and gave a knowing smile. It was a smile of comfort, one a mother would give after their child lost a game of catch. She rose from her seat on the ground and wordlessly began to guide Merlin through the tunnels.

They stopped at an open area that was away from the main cluster of druids. There was a hole in the roof of the cave, starlight twinkling through. The sound of the breeze softly brushed past Merlin's ears. Marigold whispered a spell, the ground turning into lush grass. She sat and patted the spot next to her.

Merlin laid down, looking to the stars. How lonely it must be, to be a star. So far apart from one another. Tears began their quest down Merlin's face, shining brilliantly in the silver moonlight. Marigold ran her hands through Merlin's hair, letting the boy cry into the grass. The frogs began to croak and rain came down in a drizzle. The drops cooled Merlin's face before Marigold uttered a quick spell to shield them from the soon-to-be downpour.

_"I feel guilty."_ Merlin reached out.

_"About?"_ Marigold looked down at Merlin, but the boy was still focused on the night sky.

_"I left Arthur. He may need me, and I left him."_

_"You had no choice, he pushed you away."_

_"I should have been more careful. Now I cannot go home. I can't protect him. I should have stayed in Camelot."_

The rain falls more violently, pounding on the magic shield above the two of them.

_"You need to protect yourself first, Merlin."_

_"I do not deserve protection when I am in the wrong. I lied to Arthur, betrayed him. Now I am not there to protect him when he is in danger."_

_"If the Once and Future King was in serious danger, we would know. He will survive this battle. You need time to yourself, Merlin. Let yourself live."_

Merlin said nothing more.

Marigold took her leave and let Merlin think to himself. Sometimes it is best to leave stars alone. Let them burn out instead of colliding head-on.

Abandoned with only the sounds of muffled frogs and the pitter-patter of rain, Merlin closed his eyes. They were dry and sore, but he could not keep them closed for long. Betrayed eyes and swinging fist would violate his vision. Then the feeling of vertigo filled him as he remembered the hands squeezing and squeezing and-

Merlin could not breathe.

He shot upwards, the pounding in his head growing. Gasping and sobbing, Merlin's hands drifted to ghost his neck. The rain came thrashing down, loud on the barrier above the warlock. Merlin clenched his shirt and let out a sob. Chills ran down his spine and his heart twisted unnaturally. Merlin was defenseless, shaking violently and crying until there were no more tears.

Eventually the tremors stopped and his breath found its way back to him. Merlin lay back down, numb and exhausted. He let himself get caught in between worlds, entangled in nothingness. It was oddly comforting in a way, the heavy weight of numbness covering him like a blanket. The rain cleared and the stars were visible once more, and Merlin let himself be nowhere and no one for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely was reading said poetry last night...  
> I also somehow pulled a muscle in my back from laughing too hard. So, hope your quarantine is going better lmao
> 
> Also, I'm looking to listen to new music, so if you wanna drop a suggestion go ahead :)
> 
> 😊 Comments and Kudos are much appreciated🙏
> 
> PS: I already have two new Merthur fic ideas, both angsty because why not. So look out for that once this fic is over :)


	6. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lancelot decides to tell Gwaine some inside information.  
> Merlin meets a druid girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost didn't finish this in time! I added a scene last second :)  
> I also really miss my nephew, which is probably why I keep writing children into my works lol

It was another day in Camelot, and Sir Lancelot had done some thinking. After another day of watching Gwaine mope through his knightly duties, Lancelot decided to divulge some information he knew to him. Gwaine was alone in the armory when Lancelot spoke up.

"Gwaine," Lancelot spoke, sitting down next to the other knight.

Gwaine acknowledged him with a nod. Lancelot winced at the glum expression on Gwaine's face.

"I wanted to talk to you about Merlin."

Gwaine gave his full attention to Lancelot, his interest piqued.

"Merlin didn't leave without saying goodbye on his own accord," Lancelot began, watching Gwaine's reactions carefully.

A flicker of sadness crossed Gwaine's features.

"He and Arthur had a fight."

"About what?" Gwaine asked, anger already leaking in through his voice.

Lancelot hesitated, searching Gwaine's face. He sighed and continued.

"It is not my place to say, but it ended with Arthur banishing Merlin."

Gwaine snapped his head away from Lancelot and stared at the ground. His eyebrows furrowed, processing the new information. Confusion slowly morphed into anger.

"Merlin never listens to Arthur's orders," Gwaine clenched his fist. "Did Arthur lay a hand on him?" Gwaine turned to Lancelot for an answer, intense anger and frustration flowing in his eyes.

Lancelot returned Gwaine's gaze with guilt. He frowned and opened his mouth to answer, but ended up closing it. Lancelot merely nodded, trying to keep his imagination from presenting him with a bruised Merlin.

"I'm going to kill him."

Gwaine shot up and stomped away, rage reddening his face. Lancelot stared after him for a moment before getting up to find him. Maybe it was because Lancelot felt Arthur needed a beating that he walked after Gwaine instead of running to stop him. Just maybe.

*******

Gwaine quickly approached Arthur's chambers. He glared at the guards stationed outside his room.

"I'm taking this shift, you're excused," Gwaine quickly muttered out.

The guards gave Gwaine a wary glance.

"There needs to be two guards outside the prince's chamber-"

Just then, Lancelot was seen coming around the corner. The guards then hesitantly left their positions, Lancelot sending them a reassuring smile. Gwaine crossed his arms and swiveled to face Lancelot.

"You are not going to stop me," Gwaine glared in defiance.

"I'm giving you a head start," Lance replied with a stoic expression.

Gwaine stared at Lance in disbelief before huffing and charging into Arthur's room. Arthur looked up from where he was at his desk. He stood to address the knight.

"Sir Gwaine, what-"

Gwaine had marched right up to Arthur and punched him in the face. Arthur stumbled back, taken by surprise.

" _You,_ " Gwaine grabbed a fistful of Arthur's tunic, "You _hurt_ Merlin!" Gwaine shouted.

In yet another moment of shock, Gwaine shoved Arthur, sending him tumbling over a chair. Arthur was quick to recover and entered a fighting stance.

"Where did you get that idea from?" Arthur sneered, figuring Morgana had blabbed her mouth.

Instead of answering, Gwaine went for another punch. Arthur quickly reacted and dodged. This irked Gwaine even more. He swiftly threw another, hitting the prince in his stomach. Arthur hunched over in pain. Gwaine took this to his advantage and elbowed the prince's head.

Arthur winced and swiped at Gwaine's legs. The knight fell to the ground with a thud, his back roughly greeting the ground. Arthur stayed standing and glared at Gwaine.

"I know you're upset about Merlin, but that doesn't give you the right to attack your prince," Arthur hissed.

Gwaine sat up, glowering at Arthur through his hair.

"Just because _you_ are upset with Merlin, doesn't give _you_ the right to hurt _him!_ Or banish him! Or whatever the hell else you did! You've never deserved a friend as good as him!" Gwaine retaliated.

Arthur wasn't given time to think about his hypocrisy as Gwaine lunged from the ground and tackled him. The two of them stumbled and rolled about on the floor. Gwaine managed to get in a few more punched before Arthur once again got the upper hand. After a deck to Gwaine's face, Lancelot waltzed in.

"That's enough," Lancelot spoke while pulling the two men apart. "To Gaius, the both of you."

It did not go unnoticed that Lancelot chose to help Gwaine up instead of the prince.

*******

Gaius wordlessly tended to both Sir Gwaine's and Arthur's wounds. Lancelot watched from a far corner of the room with a tiny bit of guilt. When Gaius tended to Arthur, his actions were noticeably more harsh. He roughly wiped the blood away with a rag, causing Arthur to wince. This earned a hushing from the old physician. Gaius then proceeded to bandage up the cuts and scratches far too tight. Arthur ended up requesting they be loosened. Gaius merely raised a brow and reluctantly rebandaged him, still leaving it too tight for comfort, but not as extreme.

When tending to Gwaine, Gaius shot a questioning look to Lancelot. Lancelot gave a meek nod accompanied by straight lips. Gaius continued treating Gwaine, gentle with the cleaning and application of soothing paste. Once the bandages were perfectly wrapped, Gaius approached Lancelot, leaving the other two men to glower at each other in silent contempt.

"Did you tell Gwaine of Merlin's," Gaius glanced to his patients before turning back and whispering, ", _talents?_ "

Lancelot shook his head and replied in a hushed voice, "No, I just told him he got banished after a fight with Arthur."

"Ah, I see," Gaius nodded his head.

The two of them continued their murmured conversation, ignoring the blatant glaring they were receiving from Prince Arthur.

*******

Arthur knew the jealousy he was feeling was absurd. Lancelot clearly knew of Merlin's magic, hence him telling Gwaine said man was banished. It irked Arthur to his very core. He thought he had been Merlin's closest friend, and yet Lancelot knew more about him than Arthur. Had Merlin told Lancelot? Was Arthur really that untrustworthy to Merlin? How had Lancelot reacted?

Well for one, he probably didn't beat Merlin upon hearing the news.

The prince turned his glaring to the ground instead of the loyal knight. He was being foolish and he knew it. Merlin had every right to not find Arthur trustworthy, especially now. Judging by how carried away Lancelot had gotten in previous training sessions, and his reluctance in breaking up the earlier fight, Lancelot was probably furious with him. While Lancelot was never one to adhere to violence, unlike the grumbling knight next to him, Lancelot's anger presented itself in the form of inaction. So, clearly, Merlin had a special place in the knights' heart. 

Come to think of it, Merlin had a special place in many hearts. Perhaps it was the effect of a spell? Arthur would not doubt if Merlin used filthy magic to establish connections. Arthur grimaced.

Arthur grumbled and rubbed his face. He was feeling a great deal of conflicting emotions. He was still terribly angry at Merlin, disgusted at the possibility of him using magic at this very moment. Yet, he still felt great jealousy at knowing Merlin had trusted someone else besides him with his secret. (A secret that shouldn't have existed, according to Arthur). Very hypocritical of the Prince, but when were emotions ever easy? 

Arthur decided he was well enough to return to his chambers and stood without a word. He walked out the room with an obvious limp, mood so obviously sour. Gwaine took Arthur's absence as freedom to fully lay down on the cot with a content sigh. 

Lancelot glanced to Arthur with concern. He couldn't stay mad at Arthur for long, Merlin would never want him to be upset with the prince. Lance figured he would think about what to do about Arthur later. For now, he had to intently listen to Gaius worry over Merlin. It was the least he could do.

*******

Merlin woke still feeling rather peccant. It was clear he had slept in as the mid-day sun warmed his face. Merlin sat up and rubbed his red eyes, dizzying colors appearing from the pressure of his palms. Letting his hands drop to his lap, Merlin sighed. Slowly, he stood, trying to ignore the heaviness he felt. The urge to just lay back down and sleep was strong, but Merlin knew he had slept too much already.

Merlin drearily walks through the tunnels in a haze, shadows in his head. The guilt and pain was still festering inside him. A sudden tug at his shirt pulled him out of his trance. He looked down to meet the gaze of a druid child. She was looking up at him with shy eyes. Merlin realized he probably looked like death to the young girl. He had dark bags under his eyes and swollen eyes from crying all night. Wordlessly, the girl cupped her hands in front of her and chanted a spell. Her big doe eyes sparkled gold and an iris came to life in her hands. She held it up in offering to Merlin.

Merlin dropped to his knees, smiling weakly at the druid girl. He took the flower and pushed it into his hair, resting it on his ear. Merlin felt the telltale burn in his eyes as he teared up.

"Thank you," Merlin whispered.

"You are sad, so I gave you a little hope. I can't make a flower crown yet, but when I can I will make one for you," The druid girl smiled.

Merlin laughed, a tear falling down his face. Small hands wrapped around him in a hug. Merlin sniffled, willing himself not to cry anymore. It was such a simple act of kindness, yet it seemed so significant to Merlin, He didn't even know this girls name, and yet she was comforting him with an innocent smile and intention. 

Merlin tapped the girl's back once he had composed himself. She stepped out of the hug and stared at Merlin with a small smile. 

"Here, I'll give you a little hope too," Merlin smiled fondly.

Merlin cupped his hands together and whispered a spell. He opened his hands, and a bright yellow butterfly flew out and landed on the druid girl's nose. She giggled with delight. Merlin smiled brighter. The yellow contrasted pleasantly with the tan skin of the druid. A pang of guilt pulled at his chest as he realized he had used magic. Merlin's eyes faltered away from the child, remembering Arthur. It was just a dainty butterfly, would Arthur be disgusted? Merlin clenched his fist.

A small hand was placed on top of Merlin's. He looked up to the girl. The butterfly was now resting in her brown, frizzy hair.

"I gave you hope for a reason," the girl furrowed her brows.

Merlin pinched her cheek.

"Right."

Merlin stood and continued walking, the druid girl beside him. They soon came upon where the druids were conversing for the day and the druid girl ran off to her mother. Merlin smiled sadly at the scene. The mother had the girl in her lap and was brushing her hair with her fingers, the butterfly moved to the girl's finger. It made him long for his own mother's touch and comfort. He would visit her if he knew he wasn't putting her in danger. 

"Good afternoon, Merlin," Marigold placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder, catching his attention.

"Good afternoon, Marigold," Merlin gave another sad smile.

Marigold moved the two of them to a secluded corner. She sat them down and placed a hand on Merlin's chest. Marigold frowned before her eyes glew gold. Merlin suddenly felt a lot lighter as his muscles relaxed.

"What'd you do?" Merlin quietly asked.

"I took out some negative energy. Your chest was all clouded," Marigold explained as if it was the simplest thing in the universe.

Merlin was too tired to ask what any of that meant. Even with Marigold helping his mood, he still found himself thinking of Arthur. Was he ok? Did he hate Merlin? Was he happy Merlin was gone?

"Merlin," Marigold interrupted with a soft voice. "Stop thinking of him. You need a break, some time to work on yourself. You've spent so long working on perfecting someone else, protecting them from danger. You've neglected your own needs for long enough."

Merlin looked at Marigold appalled. Marigold smiled reassuringly. Slowly, Merlin let out a breath and nodded.

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My birthday is tomorrow :)  
> I've been getting extreme pain after eating, so hopefully I can eat my cake without dying haha...:')
> 
> I posted a Merlin oneshot yesterday if you wanna check that out. It's light angst :)  
> I tend to write oneshots between working on the chapters of this book. Helps keep writers block away.
> 
> This was my first time formatting on the laptop, so sorry if it's whack.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated <3


	7. Sir Font of Mercia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nobles are arriving, among them, a sorcerer with evil intent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its a week late...more on that at the end...

There were only a few days until Uther's birthday celebration, and nobles from other kingdoms were beginning to arrive. Among them hid a sorcerer determined to wreak havoc on the Pendragon family. Going under the alias Sir Font of Mercia (though his real name was Colsen), the intruder easily slipped into Camelot's borders.

Like many other sorcerers before him, Colsen was greatly wronged by the king. He had lived in a small village that was home to mostly magic users. The community mostly performed protection and prosperity spells, innocent incantations to help their standard of living. Colsen had been the strongest of them all, his magic deeper connected to the earth. He had often performed healing spells during times of plague and made shapes in the fire for the village kid's entertainment.

All was well in Colsen's village until the purge began. Word had not yet arrived to the small village that magic was outlawed when the knights arrived. They mercilessly slaughtered his friends and family, even those who did not practice the old religion. The screams of his daughter and wife were forever engraved into his mind thanks to Uther Pendragon, and Colsen was happy to return the favor.

It simply would not do to just kill Uther. Death was the easy way out. Uther deserved nothing less than pain. What better way to do that than to kill his only son? The perfect plan had already been concocted in his mind. 

Colsen was going to bring Uther to his knees, no matter what.

**···**

Gaius called Morgana to his chambers for a talk. Morgana had assumed he wanted to talk about Merlin.

"You called for me?" Morgana asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Ah, yes," Gaius rose from his bench and stood before the ward. "We would appreciate your help."

Morgana gave a curious expression.

"Help?"

"It would be beneficial if a person of magic was looking out for the prince. Perhaps you could scope out the arriving nobles?" Gaius explained.

Morgana scowled.

"I'm sure Sir Lancelot could do it," Morgana huffed.

"Lance will be helping, but there is not much he can do against a magical attack," Gaius began to frown.

"Why would I help Arthur? He condemns our kind. He hurt Merlin. Arthur deserves whatever harm is coming his way," Morgana spat.

"Would Merlin agree with you?" Gaius raised a brow.

Morgana shifted her weight and raised her shoulders with tension. Her expression shifted to a guilty one.

"No, he would not," Morgana spoke quietly.

"He wants your help, Morgana. If you won't do it for Arthur, do it for Merlin," Gaius spoke passionately.

Morgana let out a sigh, her shoulders returning to their relaxed state. She pinched the bridge of her nose before dropping her arms to her sides.

"For Merlin," Morgana smiled.

"For Merlin," Gaius smiled back.

**···**

Morgana held back her face of annoyance and instead feigned a happy expression. She waltzed from room to room, greeting the settling nobles. The amount of droning small talk she heard was immeasurable. Morgana was certain her ears were going to bleed off. 

Alas, she was doing this for a reason. She had gazed upon most of the noble's rooms, and scanned for any possible magic. So far, nothing had turned up. With a heavy sigh, Morgana knocked on the last noble's door, Sir Font.

The door hesitantly creaked open, cueing Morgana to plaster on a smile and stand up straight. Sir Font smiled.

"My lady," He bowed.

"Sir Font, I've come to make sure you are settling in well," Morgana spoke with fake sweetness.

"All is well so far," Font replied.

Morgana shifted her eyes around the room, looking for anything of suspicion. She quickly covered up this action with words.

"I see you are not completely settled, would you like me to call you a servant?" Morgana smiled.

Sir Font shook his head, his dirty blonde curls bouncing with the movement.

"I can handle it myself," Sir Font's green eyes suddenly looked panicked.

Morgana's suspicion rose. An idea quickly popped into her head. It wasn't uncommon for her to flirt with nobles, though she mostly did it to annoy Arthur. Often times she would compare other's courting methods to his, sending him into a tantrum. It was quite funny.

Sir Font was quite attractive. His tan skin was smooth and clear. His bright green eyes popped out from his other features. His build was similar to Lancelot's. It would arouse no suspicion if she gave him a casual touch. So, she did.

Morgana reached her hand out and delicately placed it on his arm. She felt the familiar tingle of magic and looked down at her feet for a quick moment to let her eyes shine.

"Let me know if you need anything," Morgana shyly smiled while her magic worked.

Sure enough, she felt another energy. He had magic. It was different to Merlin's. It wasn't as bright as Merlin's, and it felt unsafe. The overwhelming want to hurt was evident in his magic, as if it was waiting for the chance to lash out.

Morgana quickly brought her hand back and curtsied before leaving. Sir Font had something terrible up his sleeve, she just had to figure out what.

**···**

Lancelot respectfully knocked on the door to Arthur's chambers.

"Come in," came the muffled reply of the prince.

Lancelot heaved in a breath and entered the room. Arthur was seated at his desk, hand rubbing his face. He looked tired. His golden locks were slightly ruffled and his clothes were wrinkled.

"Your Highness," Lancelot began, "I've come to talk."

Arthur looked unamused. He knew what, or rather who, would be the topic of conversation.

"If you've come to talk to me about Merlin, you can leave now," Arthur grumbled out bitterly.

"No, not exactly," Lancelot replied, hiding his growing annoyance with the prattish prince.

Arthur tilted his head up. Lancelot took this as his cue to sit in the seat in front of Arthur's desk.

"I wanted to talk to you about magic," Lancelot spoke confidently.

Arthur looked at the knight in disbelief.

"Magic?" Arthur repeated slowly.

"Yes, I believe you have some," Lancelot paused, " _-misconceptions_ about the subject."

Arthur let out a huff. Looking at Lance, he knew the knight was adamant on speaking his mind.

"Get it over with, then," Arthur dismissively waved a hand.

Lancelot smiled, his eagerness reminded Arthur a bit too much of Merlin. Lancelot quickly returned to his serious expression, as his was a serious topic after all.

"Well firstly, not all magic-wielding people are evil. Before you interrupt, let me explain. Some people are born with magic. You agree that there is no way a mere baby is evil, correct?"

"Correct," Arthur drawled out after a moments hesitation. Born with magic? Surely that wasn't true.

"Right, so there are those born with magic. They can't help that. I've also been told that most sorcerers only have the power to do simple household chores with their magic. They can cure common sicknesses, ignite fires, fold the laundry, that sort of thing. Nothing evil about that. I'm not the right person to really go in depth about it, but apparently the amount of power depends upon the person's connection to the elements and whether they were born with it or not." Lancelot conveyed, wishing he knew more. Merlin only revealed so much when ranting to him about his magic and how annoying it was to hide it- how unfair it was.

"And how do you know the _sorcerer_ who told you this wasn't lying? In my experience, he had lied to me plenty of times," Arthur retorted.

"Arthur, Merlin didn't want to lie to you. He used to rant to me into the hours of the night on how he wished he could talk to you. He didn't want to put you in a difficult position, and mostly he didn't want to lose his ability to protect you," Lancelot spoke earnestly

Arthur was slightly taken aback.

"Why would _I_ need protection?" Arthur asked in slight offense.

"He's saved your life more than you know. For starters, he was the one who killed the griffin, not I," Lancelot furrowed his brows.

Arthur sat silent, contemplating. He had been told all his life sorcerers were evil and that magic corrupted. He had seen the horrors caused by magic, how could it not be evil? The image of Merlin popped into his head. Was Merlin even capable of harm? He despised killing animals for goodness sake, much less harm a person.

Arthur felt the beginnings of a headache coming on.

"That's all for now, Lancelot," Arthur excused the knight.

Lancelot hesitantly left the prince's chambers, silently closing the door. Arthur sighed and buried his head into his hands. He had a lot of thinking to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this took so long to put out. I got horrible writers block and then had a depressive episode (I’m getting out of that now) I couldn’t even write a one shot. Everything I attempted to write was completely rubbish! I’m not even happy with this chapter but I have big plans for the next one :)
> 
> WHY NO MERLIN THIS CHAPTER??? Yeah yeah, I know. The next scene I have for Merlin is very big for his character development and I didn’t want to put it out so soon. Don’t worry, he’ll be in the next one.
> 
> The next chapter might also be late, as I am taking exams. (I took one today, well technically yesterday) Sorry in advance about that. I swear I’m trying to get these chapters out lol
> 
> UPDATE AS OF JUN 7: I’m working on the next chapter now! My life took a downward spiral that I won’t go into, but it took my attention away from writing. And then I got writers block on top of that. I’ll most likely post a few one shots before the next chapter to ease myself back into writing. I hope you all are well, and I’m sorry for the wait.
> 
> Comment and Kudos much appreciated ❤️🥰🙏


	8. Magic Reveals and New Spells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Camelot, tensions seem to be rising. But with Merlin, everything starts feeling right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo yeah sorry for the long wait
> 
> This was actually supposed to be uploaded yesterday, but then a hurricane happened and yeeted my power. Luckily, we got a generator so I actually have power and internet in a portion of the house lmao.

Unsurprisingly, Gwaine was in the tavern. What was surprising, was his sullen mood. Gwaine was undoubtedly taking Merlin's sudden disappearance hard. A few of the other regular tavern-goers even bought Gwaine drinks, taking pity on the gloomy knight.

Gwaine had been blankly staring into his cup when Lancelot walked in. Said knight looked frazzled, as if he had just run. His cheeks were pink, and his forehead was sweaty. Lancelot quickly scanned the tavern and exhaled once he caught sight of Gwaine.

"Gwaine! What are you doing here? You missed training and Arthur is-"

Gwaine cut him off with a glare. Lancelot sighed and took a seat next to Gwaine.

"I know you miss Merlin-"

"It's not just that!" Gwaine huffed. He gestured with his hands in exasperation. "Merlin trusted Arthur."

Lancelot furrowed his brows, second hand guilt festering beneath his skin.

"I mean, Merlin would follow Arthur to the edge of the world, and then Arthur does this? He didn't deserve it. He wasn't even allowed to say goodbye. What type of person does that?" Gwaine continued.

Lancelot watched as Gwaine sloshed his ale around, staring sadly into his cup. Lancelot shifted anxiously, wondering if mentioning magic would be a good idea. In the end, the words left him before he even realized he was speaking.

"How do you feel about magic?"

Gwaine's face contorted into confusion. Lancelot noticed a few of the tavern's patrons look in his direction.

"What-"

"Come with me," Lancelot murmured and gripped Gwaine's arm.

Gwaine stumbled wile attempting to keep pace with Lancelot as he was being dragged out the pub. Lancelot quickly maneuvered to a quiet part of town and pulled the two of them into an alley. Gwaine raised a brow.

"Now Lancelot, I do swing both ways but I don't-" Gwaine was cut off with a whack to the head.

"I didn't drag you here to shag you," Lancelot shook his head. "Now answer the question; how do you feel about magic?"

Gwaine stared a Lancelot with a confused expression for a few moments before giving his answer.

"I don't mind it. Met a few sorcerers when traveling. They're actually quiet fun when they aren't hellbent on revenge, why?"

Lancelot bit his lip before speaking lowly.

"I really shouldn't be saying this, but I feel like you should know," Lancelot sighed.

Gwaine looked at the other knight in anticipation.

"Merlin has magic," He whispered.

"I knew it!" Gwaine smiled. "He always did have knack for making branches fall, didn't he? I always wondered how we ended up so lucky," Gwaine trailed off, his look of enthusiasm slowly morphing into one of discomfort.

"Oh. Arthur found out." Gwaine's lip drew into a frown.

Lancelot nodded.

Gwaine's expression quickly became an angry one.

"What did he do to him? Is he hurt?" Gwaine snarled.

Lancelot hesitated and that was all the answer Gwaine needed.

"I'm going to beat that pompous ass!"

Gwaine attempted to stomp away towards the castle, only to stumble like a drunken fool. Lancelot sighed and came to the knight's aid, supporting his weight and walking him back to the castle.

"You already did," Lancelot pointed out.

"Well I'll do it again," Gwaine huffed.

"Not in the state you're in right now. You're drunk. So all you're going to do is get some rest and sober up."

Gwaine made no move to respond and instead opted to boil in his most certainly treasonous thoughts as Lancelot helped him through town.

The two knights finally arrived at the castle, Gwaine already having puked twice, and Lancelot roughly dropped Gwaine down on his bed. 

"I thought you said we weren't shagging?" Gwaine smirked.

Lancelot rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Gwaine. Go to sleep."

Gwaine then mumbled some half ass response before rolling over and passing out. Lancelot huffed at how much work the other could be. Lancelot would never hate him for it, though. He rubbed a hand over his face, ready to get to his own bed.

Lancelot walked out of Gwaine's quarters, shutting the door softly and made his way down the hall. He barely made it three steps before he was called upon.

"Lancelot!" Morgana called out, causing said knight to turn around.

"My Lady," Lancelot gave a small bow. Morgana waved off his formality.

"Follow me. It's too crowded here," Morgana whispered, eyes on the constant rush of servants.

Lancelot followed Morgana wordlessly through the castle, a sliver of worry nestling in him. Morgana was persistently looking around them, her hands constantly scratching each other. Her eyes almost came across as fearful. Looking closely, he could even see her shoulders tensed up.

Once the two of them were in a deserted hall, Morgana turned to face Lancelot. She rubbed her hands on her arms.

"I assume you are aware of Merlin's..." Morgana trailed off, looking at Lancelot expectantly.

" _His talents,_ " Lancelot supplied.

"Right," Morgana sighed and dropped her arms, assuming a confident pose. "I have similar talents."

Lancelot stared in shock.

"Well, you know where my true loyalties are, my lady."

Morgana smiled.

"Yes, I do. Anyway, Gaius convinced me to help with the current situation Merlin informed us about. I checked with all the nobles that have arrived for Uther's celebrations," Morgana paused, clenching her fists. "There is one noble, he has magic. It felt so angry. I can still feel it on me, it's nowhere near as comforting as Merlin's," Morgana grimaced.

Lancelot gave a curious, but concerned look.

"You can feel magic?"

"If I look for it, yes. I guess everyone's magic is different, seeing as I felt a difference between Font and Merlin," Morgana shrugged.

"Maybe that's why everyone is so easy to like Merlin. His magic is comforting, like you said," Lancelot smiles at the thought.

Morgana smiles as well, reminiscing over Merlin. She quickly shook her head to focus on the current situation.

"We need to figure out what Sir Font is planning. Something tells me it's not only Arthur who is in danger," Morgana said with a stern look.

Lancelot nodded.

"I'll do some digging."

Morgana replied with a nod. The two of them stood staring at each other for a few moments, mulling in the tension. The very air they breathed reeked of trouble. With a small bow, Lancelot left the empty corridor.

Morgana closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting out some tension. She could still feel the remnants of Font's magic on her fingertips. She clenched her fists and grimaced. She found her thoughts drifting to Merlin, and longing for his comforting magic.

Morgana was about to abandon the hall when an overwhelming calm rushed over her. She gasped in surprise.

"Merlin?" Morgana turned around, as if expecting the warlock to be standing there.

Instead, the sight of a lonely corridor greeted her. She chuckled to herself for thinking Merlin could have been there. She turned back and walked away with the clicks of her heels filling the hall, all traces of Font's magic gone.

*******

"Good evening, Gwen," Morgana smiles as she steps into her chambers.

Gwen looks up from the clothes she was folding and smiles, her rosy cheeks vibrant in the lazy afternoon light.

"Hello, Morgana," Gwen replies. "Would you like to get ready for bed, my lady?"

"Yes please," Morgana replies as she goes behind her changing screen. 

Gwen grabs a night gown and lays it over the top of the screen before joining Morgana to help her undo her corset. Her nimble fingers loosen every lace. Morgana feels herself relax as the tight garment is removed. Gwen helps her out of her dress and into her night gown, Morgana's hair getting messy in the process.

Gwen runs her fingers through Morgana's hair in an attempt to smooth it down.

"We should brush this, hm?" Morgana tilts her head.

Gwen nods and the two girls go to Morgana's vanity. Morgana sits down and Gwen grabs a brush, softly running it down Morgana's hair.

After a few moments of content silence, Gwen speaks up.

"Morgana, I was wondering..." Gwen trails off and bites her lip.

Morgana looks at her concerned through the mirror.

"What is it, Gwen?"

"I was wondering if you knew what happened to Merlin? I tried asking Arthur, but he seemed rather ticked about it," Gwen concludes.

Morgana tenses and scoffs.

"Of course he did. I'm sorry he was a prat to you, Gwen," Morgana starts. "As for Merlin, he's been banished."

Gwen pauses in brushing Morgana's hair.

"He what?"

"He and Arthur got into a fight, and Arthur being the idiot he is banished him! Can you believe that? He hit Merlin too! I'm sure you remember me being out of the castle for a night, I had gone to see him. He looked just awful, Gwen." Morgana put her face in her hands.

Gwen set down the brush and sat next to Morgana putting a hand on her back. Anger was beginning to rise behind Gwen eyes, but she would deal with that later.

"He banished Merlin over a fight?" Gwen asked incredulously.

Morgana sniffed, eyes slightly watery and looked up with a poisonous expression.

"Yes," she spat. "It is not my place to tell you what it was about, but I can tell you it was absolutely ridiculous. He had no right to hurt Merlin in that way."

Gwen brought Morgana into a hug. The two girls stayed in the embrace until Gwen abruptly pulled away.

"If you'll excuse me, my lady, I have some words I need to say to Arthur Pendragon," Gwen honeyed.

"Of course, Gwen. Do me a favor and don't go easy on him."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

*******

"Come in."

Arthur looked up to see Gwen swiftly enter his chambers, leaning on the door to close it behind her.

"Guinevere?"

Gwen had her face looking down, her expression hidden from Arthur. She took a big breath to steel herself and looked up, obvious rage in her eyes. She stomped up to a stunned Arthur and eyed him before speaking.

"Arthur Pendragon, you are just like your father! Ruthless and cruel! How dare you hurt Merlin! You have no right to hurt my friends!" Gwen ranted, steadily forcing Arthur to step back as she got closer with every word.

"Gwen I-" Arthur tried to get a word in, tone clearly conveying offense.

"No! Don't talk with that tone! You banished Merlin for no good reason! He would have done anything for you and you turned him away? Your actions didn't just affect Merlin, Arthur! Think about how Gaius feels! How his friends feel! How I feel!" Gwen felt herself tear up and angrily wiped them away, her cheeks red with anger.

"It was for good reason! He has magic!" Arthur shouted, anger now apparent on his face as well.

Gwen stood shocked for a moment, before rage completely washed over her body. She swiftly dealt a slap to Arthur's face, a red mark quickly forming on his cheek.

"How dare you!" Gwen held her fists at her side, shaking with anger. "It doesn't matter if he has magic or not, he was your friend! You cannot truly believe Merlin would ever do anything to hurt anyone, and if you do, you really are an idiot!" Gwen stood tensely, realizing she just slapped _the Prince of Camelot._

Arthur slowly turned his head back, eyebrows furrowed with a look of surprise.

"And to think I thought you special." Gwen spat before swiftly leaving the room, wiping her stray tears that had begun to fall near the end of her rage.

Arthur stood dumbfounded in his room, the only thing keeping him grounded being the sting on his cheek.

He stayed in his state of disbelief while getting ready for bed, and laid down. He stared up at blankly. For some strange reason, his heart began to ache and his eyes began to water.

Only one word seemed to be dashing across his mind.

_Merlin, Merlin, Merlin._

"I've fucked up, haven't I?"

*******

"The incantation we will be working on today is a water spell."

A few groans and a few cheers were scattered throughout the crowd of druid children. Merlin smiled from his spot in the back. He still had not performed magic, but enjoyed listening to the lessons, even the ones for children.

"To properly perform this spell, you must connect to the water element. It's okay if you can't do this right away, as everyone is connected to some elements more strongly than others," The teacher, named Iris, continued.

A few risked curious glances in the direction of Merlin. Being Emrys made people, especially children, curious of what his magic was like. Merlin awkwardly smiled and waved at the kids looking at him. They bashfully looked back to Iris.

"Now, hold out your palms and focus. What is water to you? Is it the cool on a hot day? Is it wild and rough like the rapids? Is it elegant and beautiful like a waterfall? Or perhaps it is all three? Connect to the element in your own way."

Merlin quite liked how Iris taught elemental magic. He himself was very powerful in all elements. He couldn't imagine how much more powerful he would be if he purposely strengthened his connections to all points of the pentagram.

"Once you've found a connection with water, speak the word _nero._ Water should fill up your in your hands." Iris then cupped her hands in front of her and loudly spoke out the spell. Water filled her hands, some dripping out onto the dirt. She sipped it smiled. 

Merlin turned his focus to the children. They were all entrapped in thought, hands cupped in front of them. He watched in amusement as one girl summoned water over her head, splashing herself. She still beamed with pride. Another druid, a boy who looked around nine summers, managed to fill his hands with water. He jumped excitedly, water sloshing out of his hands. His friends laughed.

Merlin had been so focused on watching everyone else perform magic, he nearly jumped out his skin when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see a small druid boy with chubby cheeks and a button nose. He looked around four summers. Merlin smiled at the boy.

"Yes?"

"Can you summon water?" The druid boy asked with innocent eyes.

Everyone's eyes flicked to him, watching carefully. Iris quickly shuffled up to them, putting a hand on the child's back.

"Sorry, you don't have to-"

"No, no, it's fine," Merlin smiled up at Iris. "Could you tell me a more intricate water spell? I'm sure I could manage," Merlin said as he adjusted his posture, moving to face the crowd of children forming around him.

Iris gave Merlin a shocked smile before sitting down next to him. She cleared her throat and began speaking.

"Well, I'm sure you understand why I don't want to teach you an attack spell in front of children, but I could teach you a more showy one," Iris explained.

Merlin nodded.

"Right, well firstly, connect to the element," Iris waited until Merlin nodded "Now, picture a halo of sorts floating above your head, but with water. Maybe you could even manage to have the water swirling!" Iris smiled.

Merlin closed his eyes and hummed once he had a nice picture in his head.

"Good, now say the words _nero fotostefano._ "

Merlin opened his eyes, gold shimmering to life as he uttered the words. The children uttered in awe as water formed above Merlin's head. The water made a ring around Merlin's head, swishing in a circle. Merlin smiled and poked the water, causing some of it the splash him. A few of the kids laughed.

"Good job, Merlin!" Iris put a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

Merlin beamed with pride.

"More! More!" A few of the children chanted.

Merlin laughed and summoned away the water.

"Anything else, Iris?" 

Iris tilted her head in thought before nodding.

"This one is more of a healing spell, but you can use it whenever you or someone else is tense," Iris explained.

"Sounds handy. I'll give it a go," Merlin nodded.

"Alright, focus on who you'd like to calm down. It can even work for multiple people after a bit of practice."

Merlin thought back to his night in the woods with Morgana. She was probably so tense having magic and living with Uther, so he decided to focus on her.

"Alright," Merlin whispered.

"Now say, _omnis bene est_."

" _Omnis bene est,_ " Merlin spoke softly.

His eyes shined from behind his eyelids, and a sparkling trail of magic quickly burst through the room. Everyone watched in awe as the magic left the caves, towards Camelot.

There was silence as Merlin slowly opened his eyes.

"Did I do it?"

Iris snapped out of her daze and looked around the room. The magic seemed to have affect those in the room, many of the children yawning.

"I think so," Iris smiled.

Merlin smiled back, and for the first time in a long time, Arthur was nowhere in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the long wait! I’ll try and make the wait not as long for the next one.
> 
> I did not mean for there to be so much sexual tension between Lance and Gwaine it just happened-jsjsjsjs lmaoo 
> 
> I have a Tumblr now too! @dont-be-an-idiot-merlin 
> 
> ❤️Comment and Kudos are appreciated❤️


End file.
